Cuban third baseman Dayan Viciedo has tentatively agreed to a deal with the Chicago White Sox that would quickly bring to an end negotations for the free agent’s services. Viciedo will fly to Chicago for a physical to complete the deal, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

At just 19 years old, Viciedo would appear to be years away from the big leagues, but the White Sox will have an open competition for third base job and pave the way for his arrival. Last season’s starter Joe Crede is a free agent unlikely to re-sign with the team, leaving just Josh Fields standing in Viciedo’s way. Read more »

Is it dangerous for the Yankees to offer left-hander CC Sabathia the largest contract ever for a Major League pitcher, a deal the New York Daily News is reporting to be for $140 million over six years?

Yes and no, in our estimation.

Yes, in the classic, pitchers-are-subject-to-injury-and-long-term-deals-are-always-a-risk sense (how’s that for hyphens?). No, in that Sabathia has proven such a workhorse that he has built up a degree of immunity to injury risks. Read more »

Kevin Gregg is not a perfect replacement for Kerry Wood, but he will prove a whole lot cheaper and less injury prone. When the Cubs traded pitching prospect Jose Ceda to the Marlins for the 30-year-old Gregg Thursday, they effectively ended their longstanding relationship with Wood and altered the look of their bullpen. Gregg will fit in nicely, pitching either in front of or behind electric set-up man Carlos Marmol.

While Gregg falls well short of Marmol in terms of pure stuff, he is a much tougher, more experienced competitor. This looks like Marmol’s year to emerge as a top-flight closer, but just in case he doesn’t, the veteran Gregg will be there to close games. Read more »

The Matt Holliday trade that went down on Monday, the one that surprised most and shocked many, has served as the match to ignite baseball’s hot stove. The deal won’t be the last surprise we get, and it may not even be the biggest. As prime free agents are set to negotiate and teams look to rebuild, the offseason flurry is only now about to begin.

On one end are the impact free agents available to the highest bidders. To the surprise of none, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez are 1-2-3 on the list, all three of which figure to land in the lineups of large-market contenders. Read more »

Although the 2008 MLB free agency period has yet to set sail, one of the off-season’s biggest fish is already swimming towards the west coast.

The Oakland Athletics acquired outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies on Monday. In exchange, the Athletics are sending closer Huston Street, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and pitcher Greg Smith a mile high. Read more »

The San Diego Padres are reportedly shopping Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Not a surprising move, considering the state of the Padres franchise, but the public search for willing trade partners is unusual. No more behind the scenes finagling; creating leverage has now required involving the national media.

General manager Kevin Towers is looking for young pitching - aren’t all GMs? - and his rallying cry has hit the television, radio and newspaper wires. So far, the Atlanta Braves have a small lead in a race that also includes the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. Read more »

“Positional Purgatory” is where we would say shortstops are going in fantasy. A group of fading stars is giving way to emerging youngsters, but very few of either kind can be viewed as real difference makers. Beyond the top three, there’s not a ton of speed or power in the group, leaving fantasy owners with a bunch of 10 HR-10 SB types and little else.

If a player is to break that ordinary mold and excel in either power or speed categories, a toll will be taken on at least one other category. Cleveland’s Jhonny Peralta has considerable pop, hitting .276-23-89-103 in 2008, but will be hard-pressed to break the .270 average mark once again. Ryan Theriot is a virtual lock to hit .300 and steal 25 bases, but has zero power and doesn’t drive in any runs. Read more »

It is Week 5 in fantasy football and chances and time to get an objective evaluation on how your team will perform this season. For some of you, however, fantasy football just does not quite feed your craving. Bored of adjusting your lineups just once a week? Lack of free agent activity not enough of a challenge? If you live for the daily waiver wire pickups, constant lineup adjusting, and buying peanuts and cracker jacks, then you are already counting down the days until fantasy baseball 2009 kicks off.

In the meantime, we are here to bring you some early previews for the 2009 season. The “Fast Forward to ‘09” series has already given you inside analysis on who to acquire at the second base and starting pitcher positions as well as keepers and this year’s rookies. We now shift across the diamond to third base, which appears to be a loaded position once again.  Read more »

Chances are, keeper league decisions don’t have to be made for at least a few months. But, it never hurts to feed into the obsession and take a look now while information is fresh. Scratch out a preliminary list, then either add to or subtract from it as Spring Training 2009 approaches.

Simultaneously looking backward and forward are keys in keeper leagues, as projecting future results requires elements of both. The players carried over into 2009 build a fantasy team’s foundation, so making proper choices is imperative. The foundation has to be sturdy enough to stand strong through 2010 and beyond, but also has to be competitive right now. It’s a delicate balance. Read more »

Over the course of a 162 game season, Major League teams change their lineups countless times, promote prospects from the minor leagues, make trades, and face constant struggles about what to do with certain players. Fantasy owners are no different.

Injuries, slumps, and platoons have owners throwing fits over the course of a season. Players get benched, get traded and catch fire. Through hot streaks and slumps, good games and bad, fantasy owners are there to stomach it all.

Beginning on draft day, fantasy managers have tough decisions to make. When do you draft your first closer? Should you take a risk on that rookie or go with the proven veteran? How do you avoid getting stuck with weak players at the shallow positions? ImaginaryDiamond.com is here to address some of the lessons you should have learned regarding these situations and more in 2008. Read more »